This is the first of a new blog series about the Open and Collaborative Science Manifesto recently launched by the Open and Collaborative Science in Development Network. Over the next several weeks, we will be highlighting the principles of the Manifesto in more depth, using case studies from our sub-projects, and providing examples of how these principles look in different contexts.

A Manifesto to Reclaim Open Science

By: Denisse Albornoz

(English)

Recent years have shown that mainstream narratives about Open Science and Open Access, emerging particularly from Europe and North America, envision Open Science as a system of technology-driven tools and infrastructures that, when utilised, increase the visibility of scientific publications, improve scientific communication with the public and overall reduce costs of scientific production (e.g.OECD FOSTER, Max Planck Society

Why a Manifesto?

For this reason, the Open and Collaborative Science in Development Network (OCSDNet) set out to find out how Open Science is defined by regions and communities which have been historically excluded from global scientific production. We held a year-long participatory consultation with 12 teams from 26 countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Asia with the objective of identifying the meanings, concepts and principles at the core of a more inclusive open science and what this model could offer to development.

The result was the Open and Collaborative Science Manifesto, a document that calls for a review of values at the core of Open Science, a stronger emphasis on public participation at all stages of the research process, and a return to the aspiration of using science for the the betterment and well-being of our society and planet.Given the diversity of disciplinary, cultural and epistemological backgrounds of the contributors, the document also challenges the public meanings associated with Open Science and puts forth a counter-narrative that fosters diversity, inclusion, and plurality of knowledge in science.

What is the Open and Collaborative Science Manifesto?

This document, first and foremost, raises important questions that complicate our understanding of openness in science. We believe the first step towards reclaiming Open Science is to critically question our assumptions about knowledge and science. Asking: what knowledge(s) do we think about when we think about science?, what are the barriers to participation in scientific knowledge production, sharing and use for scientists and nonscientists, and how can Global South regions leverage this turn to openness to build a more equitable and inclusive science ecosystem?. Productive dialogue around this questions will take us to a more nuanced and diverse understanding of what open science can achieve.

Secondly, the Manifesto flags that mainstream discourses fail to recognize the role of public participation in open science. This document puts forth seven principles, that encourage us to go beyond techno-centric solutions, to re-imagine collaboration as a practice geared towards the inclusion of diverse communities who have a stake in scientific production but have been previously excluded from its processes.

Third, the Manifesto centers scientific traditions, knowledge(s) and priorities from the Global South into the Open Science narrative.The concepts and language(s) that make up the Manifesto were informed by literature that questions the relationship between knowledge and power, such feminist theories, postcolonial studies, critical theory and decolonization projects which originate in the Global South, among others. The Manifesto emphasizes a social science perspective (drawn from anthropology, sociology, and political economy theory) that considers the socio-political dimensions of science and technology.

By documenting this literature, we want to make visible the connections between ideas and people who have dedicated themselves to challenge inequality in knowledge production, at the material and epistemic level, and through a wide variety of lenses.

And finally, the Manifesto is a proposal that calls for a self-aware, equitable and inclusive science in service of the development and well-being of our planet. The development of the Manifesto was a response to what we perceived as a lack of transformative and critical approaches to Open Science. The ultimate goal of the document is to open a conversation around where Open Science is heading and how it can better contribute to social inclusion, the well-being of all communities and the protection of the environment.

Ways to get involved

If you share this vision for a more inclusive Open Science, or seek to challenge it, we encourage you to get in touch with us and join the conversation. Here are some ways:

We are interested in learning how these principles converge with your work and the potential challenges for uptake in your community or region. At this time, we also welcome Spanish-speaking Research Affiliates.

Get in touch with us via [email protected], letting us know the ways in which these values speak to the work you are doing.

We hope to hear from you in the future and count with your contributions to continue building a more inclusive definition of Open Science.

** Special thanks to Cooperativa de Diseño for their incredible design work with the infographics and the video.